The Doctors, healthcare professionals and staff of the Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists, are pleased to welcome a new physician into our midst. We are proud to announce that Dr. Prashanth Kanagarajah will be joining FLASS.
Meet Dr. Prashanth Kanagarajah
Dr. Prashanth Kanagarajah: Welcome to the FLASS Family.
Dr. Kanagarajah is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine and sub-specialties.
Additionally, being eager to care for a wide variety of pulmonary diseases, Dr. Kanagarajah has special interest in interstitial lung diseases. Likewise, his special interests include advanced Bronchoscopic techniques to diagnose lung cancer, treat COPD and asthma.
Dr. Kanagarajah’s Backstory: Get to Know Our New Doctor
Dr. Kanagarajah completed medical training from one of the leading medical institutions in India and graduated in 2005. Subsequently, he completed his Internal Medicine residency at Mount Sinai Medical center in Miami Beach. Then, he moved to University of South Florida to complete his Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
Prior to starting residency, he dedicated many years to conduct clinical trials. Now, he brings his interest forward as he joins Florida Lung Asthma and Sleep specialists. Here, he wishes to explore newer treatment options for complex pulmonary diseases.
The Qualifications of Dr. Kanagarajah
Dr. Kanagarajah, is a member of American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society and Society of Critical Care Medicine. Having presented in various scientific meetings, he has also published several journal articles pertaining to pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine.
Once again, all of us at FLASS (Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists) extend a hearty welcome to Dr. Prashanth Kanagarajah from our community. Look for him soon as he will officially become part of the FLASS family August 1, 2020.
Notes on Interstitial Lung Disease
In honor of Dr. Kanagarajah, let’s take a quick look at one of his specialties, Interstitial Lung Disease. Certainly, most of our readers have a basic understanding of respiratory anatomy. However, they might not understand much about the interstitium. As you might have guessed from its name, Interstitial Lung Diseases attack the interstitium. To clarify, this is a part of the anatomy in everyone’s lungs.
What on Earth is My Interstitium and What Does It Do ?
Put simply, “The interstitium is a lace-like network of tissue that goes throughout both lungs. Basically,l we want you to know the lacy network of the Interstitium has the vital job of supporting the microscopic air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs. The minuscule vessels, in the Interstitium, could be described as delicate paper-thin tissue. Additionally, the vessels permit the critical gas exchange between blood and air in the lungs.
About Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
All forms of interstitial lung disease cause the delicate interstitium to thicken.Certainly, this can happen from three major causes: inflammation, scarring, or a buildup of fluid. Consequently, “As the interstitial tissues thicken, patients become short of breath on exertion,. Some develop a troublesome dry cough.” There are over 200 forms of ILD. Some forms last a short time (acute). Others are long-term (chronic) and don’t go away.
A Basic Listing of Interstitial Lung Diseases
Coughing and Shortness of Breath are Not Normal: Talk to Your Physician.
You might hear about some of the below list of Interstitial Lung Diseases. If you or a loved one has coughing and shortness of breath, or have received a diagnosis of one of these diseases, remember, FLASS is here for you: From over 200 Varieties, Some ILD’s include:
- Interstitial Pneumonia: This occurs when Bacteria, viruses, or fungi infect the interstitium. And typically, Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the usual cause.
- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: This ILD causes scar tissue growth in the interstitium. Thus, it inevitably causes shortness of breath.
- Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonitis: We often find this disease in people with autoimmune conditions. And those conditions have more familiar names, like rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma.
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: When you habitually breathe in dust, mold, or other irritating substances, irritation paves the way for this Interstitial Lung Disease.
An Interstitial Disease with Two Very Odd Names
COP or BOOP: This is the short Name for Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia. “COP is a pneumonia-like interstitial lung disease without an infection.” Likewise, your doctor might call this disease BOOP. This stands for “bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP).”
Three More Interstitial Diseases You Might Hear About
- Acute Interstitial Pneumonitis: This comes on the patient suddenly and severely. Often this diagnosis requires a ventilator to breathe for the patient.
- Desquamative Interstitial Pneumonitis: Smoking at least partially instigates this disease.
- Sarcoidosis: This causes interstitial lung disease along with swollen lymph nodes. It can also affect your heart, skin, nerves and eyes. See more about this disease at our special page.
- Asbestosis: Breathing in the fibers of asbestos is never good for lungs.
Terrific Take-Aways
Shortness of Breath and a Dry Cough Could Indicate an Interstitial Lung Disease.
We’ll be offering more information on Lung Interstitial Diseases in an upcoming blog. However, we wanted to preview one of Dr. Kanagajah’s specialties for your general knowledge. And watch next week for a blog that reviews Bronchoscopy. This is a diagnostic and treatment procedure in which Dr. Kanagajah is also well-versed with many advanced techniques.
Once again, with big Florida grins under our COVID-19 masks and hearty virtual hand-shakes, we once again state our that we are honored and delighted to welcome our new physician, Dr. Prashanth Kanagarajah to FLASS.